For many months now the world has been watching the unfolding drama of the US presidential campaign, starring Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The American elections are of global relevance, as the USA remains the single most powerful country with a unique combination of economic, military, diplomatic but also cultural and normative strength. We have…

Antonio Guterres, former socialist Prime Minister of Portugal and until last year head of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has emerged as the broadly accepted choice to replace UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, whose term ends on 31 December 2016. Mr. Guterres has been the frontrunner in all six informal votes held at the 15-member Security Council of the United Nations in New York in the recent months. Before that he had presented his vision for the United Nations to the 193 members of the UN General Assembly and had participated in debates and other events, as did the other declared candidates for the job.

This year’s summit of the G20 took place from 4 to 5 September in Hangzhou, China. The agenda once again went beyond the classical economic issues of growth, trade and investment, and covered climate change, the 2030 Agenda or Sustainable Development, Brexit and even terrorism and health issues. These summits are gradually turning into sessions of some kind of a Global Economic Security Council, if not of a Global Directorate bringing together the most important established and emerging world powers. Should the G20 remain a stage for those preferring the freedom of ad hoc actions than global multilateral scrutiny, or should it be integrated into the more legitimate UN structures, revitalizing them at the same time?

Britons have voted to leave the EU with a clear margin – 4% of the vote corresponding to more than a million voters. One hoped that the mobilization of UK and European leaders, Obama’s intervention, the warnings of businesses and the financial sector, and wide condemnation of Jo Cox’s murder would have persuaded the British electorate to vote for Remain. Nothing of that sort. When the popular millstone starts rolling there is nothing that can stop it…

The millstone has rolled and has crushed the hopes of many for a positive referendum outcome. Particularly hit are the dreams of the British youth, the majority of whom voted for a European future for themselves and their country. Also the EU migrants to the UK, who could not vote, expect to be seriously affected by the result. The value of the pound is collapsing and no doubt many businesses and financial firms that had chosen the UK as their EU base are considering where to move next. They may be followed by many Britons who feel European and have every right to continue as European citizens elsewhere in the EU.

The untimely death of British MP Jo Cox in the hands of an extreme English nationalist has deprived her constituency, her country and Europe of a hard-working and inspiring individual dedicated with body and soul to the good causes of humanity. It has also deprived the British Labour Party and UK politics from a rising star, and the campaign for the UK staying in the EU of a passionate and committed voice.

UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, caused a stir a few days ago when he admitted publicly that he had agreed to remove a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia from a list of armies attacking civilians, because the Saudi government and its allies had threatened to stop funding UN humanitarian activities in Palestine and elsewhere.

The Katoikos.eu family is mourning the loss of Viktor Sukup, a regular contributor and a personal friend of many of us. After a two-month long search, Viktor’s body was discovered just before Easter in a remote part of Cape Verde, where he fell to his death into a ravine while on a hike.

In recent months and years we have got used to witnessing attacks on Brussels, the city symbolizing the centre of the European Union that national leaders in government and opposition love to criticize for everything that goes wrong or is unpopular on the European continent. Today, though, 22 March 2016, it was not a metaphoric but a coordinated literal attack on the city of Brussels that dominated the headlines…

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The first signs are quite worrisome. The US Administration is talking about “Maduro regime” and using its dominance of the financial transaction system to orchestrate a change of government in Venezuela. President Trump and his team support the claims of National Assembly leader Juan Guiado, who has declared himself Interim President. Several Latin American countries…

1.3 bln people are economically, socially, politically or culturally poor. In too many cases, decades of development aid couldn’t stop the rising inequality.

Katoikos is a publication that wants to bring out the common elements that unite humanity and, at the same time, to celebrate its diversity. It is inspired by the shared interest for peace, human dignity and well-being for all.